We began the treadmill training when an infant
could sit independently for 30 seconds. In some cases this may have
been a little too early since some infants did not step much for the
first month. If we were to do the study over again, training would not
begin until the infant could support a little of their weight on their
feet.

We placed a treadmill in the home and trained parents
how to hold their infant during the exercise sessions. Parents were
asked to exercise their infant 5 days per week for 8 minutes per day
from entry into the study until they began to independently take 3 to 4
steps. Generally, infants began exercising for one- minute bouts
followed by a one- minute rest. They continued this sequence until the
infant received 8 minutes of exercise in a day. Parents gradually
increased the length of the exercise session prior to giving the infant
a rest. All infants eventually exercised for 8 continuous minutes. This
process becomes easier as the child is willing and able to extend their
legs and support their weight on their feet. Many infants could have
exercised for 10-12 minutes once they began to take a lot of steps (40
per minute).

Based on what we observed during this clinical trial, most
infants with Down syndrome should be encouraged to be upright on their
feet as early as possible after achieving good head control. Supporting
them in this posture will help to develop adequate leg strength needed to
support their own weight. This leg strength is a critical prerequisite
to stepping on the treadmill and walking independently.